Directions

Combine the whole milk, scraped vanilla bean seeds and the bean pod in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and then stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Turn the heat off and allow the milk to infuse for 20 minutes.

Reheat the milk to a simmer. Have a large metal or glass bowl sitting in a large bowl of ice water and a fine mesh strainer ready.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 7 tablespoons of sugar together briskly until the egg yolks become pale and fluffy. Add a 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg yolks while whisking quickly to temper the egg yolks. Once evenly combined, pour the mixture back into the pot and cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens, stirring the bottom of the pot constantly using a wooden spoon, being careful not to overcook/scramble the eggs. The eggnog is ready when the mixture coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a distinct line through it.

Pour the eggnog through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl on ice. Whisk in the heavy cream and Maker's Mark (R) Bourbon. Stir the eggnog until it begins to cool down, then place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill overnight. You can serve as is (adjust texture with cold milk or cream), or whip the 4 egg whites with the remaining tablespoon of sugar to soft peaks, then fold into the chilled eggnog. Serve immediately.